HEY THERE! I'M STEPHANIE.

I know firsthand how stressful the world of eating and nutrition can be. I spent most of my life hating my body, wishing I were thinner, and searching for the magic thing - the perfect diet - that would fix me and give me the perfect body and the perfect life.

In fact, I got a Master's degree in Holistic Nutrition as part of my quest for the perfect diet. I honestly thought if I could learn everything there was to know about food and nutrition, then I would never be tempted by a cookie again.

Unfortunately (as you can probably guess) that's not what happened. AT ALL.

In fact, the more I learned about the science of nutrition, the more frustrated I became - with myself. Because all the knowledge I was gaining in grad school wasn't making a bit of difference in the way I actually ate on a day-to-day basis. Sure, I started upgrading some things to organic and found some good tricks for getting more veggies into my day.

But I didn't stop craving sugar, I didn't stop feeling out of control around food, and I didn't stop being stressed out about everything I ate. I just felt like I'd never be good enough.

Until I had an epiphany:

DIETING OR STRESSING OUT ABOUT FOOD WOULD NEVER MAKE ME CHANGE THE WAY I ATE PERMANENTLY.

Losing weight wouldn't give me a happier life.

I wasn't broken or wrong - I was just making the choice to feel that way. I was actively choosing to feel stressed out and guilty.

SO I CHANGED MY MIND.

I stopped thinking or saying negative things about my body or the way I looked. I released the death grip I had on my relationship with food. I quit dieting (gasp!).

INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON CHANGING MY BODY, I DECIDED TO CHANGE MY THOUGHTS.

And you know what? It worked! It took lots of internal work to heal the damage I'd done to myself over the years, and it wasn't easy. In fact, it's an ongoing process - I'm not perfect, not by a long shot.

But I've never been happier or more at peace with myself. I have a pretty great relationship with food, and eating is fun for me.

I'm no longer afraid of food making me fat or of losing control. I don't restrict myself, I don't count calories, and I don't worry about my weight anymore. In fact, I love my body and trust it to tell me what it needs.

USING NUTRITION + shifting my mindset, I HAVE MADE PEACE WITH FOOD - AND NOW I WANT TO HELP YOU DO THE SAME.